Diclofenac Topical Solution

• It is used to ease pain and swelling.
• It is used to treat arthritis.

• If you have an allergy to diclofenac or any other part of diclofenac topical solution.
• If you have an allergy to aspirin or NSAIDs.
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have any of these health problems: GI (gastrointestinal) bleeding or kidney problems.
• If you are having trouble getting pregnant or you are having your fertility checked.
• If you are pregnant or may be pregnant. Do not take this medicine if you are in the third trimester of pregnancy. You may also need to avoid diclofenac topical solution at other times during pregnancy. Talk with your doctor to see when you need to avoid taking this medicine during pregnancy.
• If you are taking any other NSAID.
• If you are taking a salicylate drug like aspirin.
• If you are taking pemetrexed.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with diclofenac topical solution.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this medicine with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take diclofenac topical solution. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Have blood work checked as you have been told by the doctor. Talk with the doctor.
• High blood pressure has happened with drugs like this one. Have your blood pressure checked as you have been told by your doctor.
• If you smoke, talk with your doctor.
• If you have asthma, talk with your doctor. You may be more sensitive to this medicine.
• Talk with your doctor before you drink alcohol.
• Do not use on skin that has any problems.
• Do not use more than told. Unsafe side effects may happen.
• Do not use longer than you have been told by the doctor.
• Avoid sunlight on treated area.
• The chance of heart failure is raised with the use of drugs like this one. In people who already have heart failure, the chance of heart attack, having to go to the hospital for heart failure, and death is raised. Talk with the doctor.
• The chance of heart attack and heart-related death is raised in people taking drugs like this one after a recent heart attack. People taking drugs like this one after a first heart attack were also more likely to die in the year after the heart attack compared with people not taking drugs like this one. Talk with the doctor.
• If you are taking aspirin to help prevent a heart attack, talk with your doctor.
• This medicine may cause harm if swallowed. If diclofenac topical solution is swallowed, call a doctor or poison control center right away.
• This medicine may affect how much of some other drugs are in your body. If you are taking other drugs, talk with your doctor. You may need to have your blood work checked more closely while taking this medicine with your other drugs.
• If you are 65 or older, use diclofenac topical solution with care. You could have more side effects.
• NSAIDs like this medicine may affect egg release (ovulation) in women. This may cause you to not be able to get pregnant. This goes back to normal when diclofenac topical solution is stopped. Talk with your doctor.
• This medicine may cause harm to the unborn baby if you take it while you are pregnant. If you are pregnant or you get pregnant while taking this medicine, call your doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby.

• Store at room temperature. Do not freeze.
• Protect from light.
• Store in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory drug. It comes in other forms, including oral tablets and capsules, eye drops, powder packets, transdermal gel, and transdermal patch.

Talk to your doctor before taking diclofenac if you have heart disease or high blood pressure. It could make your condition worse.

Common side effects include stomach pain, nausea, and others.

This solution is applied directly to sore knees in very small amounts.

You can still have side effects like stomach problems or allergies from using the solution since some of it is absorbed into your system.

• FDA warning See Details

• May cause increased blood pressure, puffiness, or water retention

• May affect some of your liver function tests See Details

• May cause allergic reaction See Details

• Wash your hands well after using the solution so you don’t get it in your eyes or transfer it to someone else.

What is diclofenac?

Diclofenac is a prescription drug. It is available in these forms: oral (capsules, tablets), eye drops, transdermal gel, transdermal patch, transdermal solution, and powder packets for oral solution.

Diclofenac is available in its generic form. Generic drugs usually cost less. In some cases they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if the generic will work for you.

Why it's used

This transdermal solution is used to relieve arthritis in the knees.

How it works

Diclofenac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

More Details

Diclofenac can interact with other medications, herbs, or vitamins you might be taking. That’s why your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. If you’re curious about how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Note: You can reduce your chances of drug interactions by having all of your prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy. That way, a pharmacist can check for possible drug interactions.

Alcohol Interaction

Avoid alcohol when taking this drug. Alcohol can increase your risk of stomach ulcers from taking diclofenac.

Medications That Might Interact with This Drug

Diclofenac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. (NSAID). Do not combine it with other NSAIDs unless directed by your doctor.

Examples of other NSAIDs are:

• ketorolac
• ibuprofen
• naproxen
• aspirin
• celecoxib (Celebrex)
• dexketoprofen

Diclofenac reduces pain, but it also affects chemicals that keep your kidneys running efficiently. This effect may make your kidneys take longer to filter out some drugs. This may increase their levels in your body and side effects.

Some of these include:

• anticoagulants, such as warfarin
• bisphosphonates, such as alendronate (Fosamax)
• captopril, enalapril, and other diuretics that affect potassium
• ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and other related antibiotics
• enalapril
• cyclosporine
• dagibatran (Pradaxa)
• digoxin
• furosemide
• haloperidol
• hydrocodone
• lithium
• methotrexate
• tacrolimus
• tenofovir
• vancomycin and other aminoglycosides (hospital IV antibiotics)

Other drugs may increase the levels of diclofenac in your body.

Some of these include:

• enalapril or captopril (angiotensin-converting enzyme  inhibitors)
• losartan (Diovan) or other angiotensin II receptor blockers
• cyclosporine
• glucosamine
• omega-3 fatty acids
• some antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
• vitamin E

People with high blood pressure or water retention

If you have high blood pressure or water retention, tell your doctor before taking diclofenac. Your heart may already be working hard and adding an NSAID can increase this workload.

People with ulcer or digestive bleeding

If you’ve had an ulcer or bleeding from your digestive system, ask your doctor before taking diclofenac. You’re at increased risk for another bleed.

People with a history of smoking, alcohol use

Smokers and those who drink alcohol regularly have an increased risk of ulcer from NSAIDs like diclofenac.

People with kidney disease, diuretics

If you have kidney disease or take diuretics (water pills), there’s a risk this drug can affect your kidneys’ ability to remove excess water from your body. Ask your doctor is diclofenac is the right drug for you.

People with asthma with aspirin reaction

If you have asthma and you react to aspirin, you could have a bad reaction to diclofenac. Talk to your doctor before taking the drug.

Pregnant women

Pregnancy category C/Pregnancy category D after 30 weeks of pregnancy

Diclofenac is a category D pregnancy drug after 30 weeks of pregnancy. Category D means two things:

1. Studies show a risk of adverse effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug.
2. The benefits of taking atenolol during pregnancy may outweigh the potential risks in certain cases.

With diclofenac, babies of women who have reached 30 weeks of pregnancy have had side effects from the drug, and there is an increased risk of miscarriage. Do not take diclofenac if you’re pregnant, unless your doctor advises you to.

Until the 30th week, diclofenac is a category C drug. That means that studies have shown that diclofenac can be a risk to the offspring of lab animals. However, not enough studies have been done to show risk in humans.

Women who are nursing

This drug passes into the breast milk, which means it can pass to a nursing child. This may lead to toxic effects for the child.

Breastfeeding isn’t recommended if you’re taking diclofenac.

For Seniors

Seniors are at higher risk for stomach problems, bleeding, water retention, and other side effects from diclofenac.

Seniors may also have kidneys that aren’t working at peak levels, so the drug can build up and cause more side effects.

For Children

Keep away from children and pets. They could experience stomach pain or even bleeding from accidental consumption of this drug.

Contact with drug

Diclofenac solution can transfer to others. Make sure that the solution has dried completely before you touch anyone else.

When to call the doctor

If your pain doesn’t improve, or if the swelling, redness, and stiffness of your joint(s) don’t improve, call your doctor. The drug may not be working for you.

Allergies

If you have an allergy to aspirin or other similar non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, you could have an allergic reaction to diclofenac. Call your doctor right away if you have any signs of:

• wheezing
• trouble breathing
• hives
• itchy rash